New Delhi: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the BJP for what he termed as kickstarting its “washing machine”, hours after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra on Sunday. Launching an attack on the NCP leaders who joined the Shinde faction, Jairam Ramesh said the “corrupt” leaders jumped ship to escape the probe of the investigating agencies.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “Clearly the BJP’s Washing Machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit. The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP.”

Clearly the BJP’s Washing Machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit.

The Congress…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 2, 2023

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said probably this is “the mother of democracy” that PM Modi talked about in his address to the US Congress.

“I guess this is the mother of democracy that Modiji was talking about in his address to the US Congress!” In his address to the US Congress last month, Modi had said that in the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the “mother of democracy”,” Sibal tweeted.

Ajit Pawar(NCP)
To be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra along with 9 others as Ministers in the Shinde led government

I guess this is the mother of democracy that Modiji was talking about in his address to the US Congress !

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) July 2, 2023

Other Congress leaders, too, reacted on Ajit Pawar’s move.

“BJP is misusing its power. In the name of ‘Operation Lotus’, BJP is spoiling the country’s politics. People of Maharashtra are cursing what has happened today,” Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said.

VIDEO | “BJP is misusing its power. In the name of ‘Operation Lotus’, BJP is spoiling the country’s politics. People of Maharashtra are cursing what has happened today,” says Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole after NCP’s Ajit Pawar joins Eknath Shinde-led state government. pic.twitter.com/49twzGyMcD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 2, 2023

“BJP and PM Modi have violated the Constitution. Ajit Pawar joining Maharashtra government is a biggest joke on democracy. Rajiv Gandhi brought anti-defection law while Atal Bihari Vajpayee increased number of MLAs to 2/3rd, so this is an insult of Vajpayee as well,” Congress leader Rashid Alvi said.

“NCP’s Ajit Pawar joining Maharashtra government was expected but happened unexpectedly. The kind of politics happening at present in Maharashtra never happened before,” Congress MLA Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar said.

Notably, Ajit Pawar, who took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, said he decided to become part of the Shinde-led government for the development of the country. Eight other NCP leaders took oath as ministers as well.